Shape-Forming Shutter With Elastic Biasing for Dough Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional food shape-forming shutter apparatuses face issues with maintaining a stable form due to gaps between shutter pieces, leading to inconsistent food dough shaping and requiring cumbersome adjustments for optimal performance.
Innovation Solution
A shape-forming shutter apparatus with rotatably attached shutter pieces and a ring-shaped elastic member that maintains pressure contact between adjacent shutter pieces, eliminating the need for gap adjustments and ensuring consistent sliding contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If shutter pieces are used without pressure contact biasing means, then the device complexity is reduced, but gaps form between shutter pieces causing unstable food dough shaping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing pressure contact biasing means that maintains optimal contact pressure between shutter pieces. This ensures consistent sliding contact and prevents gap formation, thereby stabilizing the food dough shaping process without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure contact biasing means automatically maintains the optimal gap between shutter pieces through self-adjusting pressure contact. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual gap adjustments and ensures stable shaping performance throughout operation.
2Manufacturing precision
If gap adjustments are implemented between shutter pieces, then food dough shaping precision is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to cumbersome adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure contact biasing means provides automatic self-adjustment of the gap between shutter pieces, eliminating the need for manual intervention. The system self-regulates to maintain optimal contact pressure, thereby improving ease of operation while preserving shaping consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic pressure contact through the biasing means, allowing the shutter pieces to automatically adapt to wear and operational conditions. This dynamic adjustment mechanism maintains consistent shaping precision without requiring manual gap adjustments.
3Reliability
If sliding surfaces are kept in pressure contact, then the reliability of shaping is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional biasing mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure contact biasing means maintains optimal contact pressure between sliding surfaces, ensuring reliable and stable shaping performance over time. This parameter control mechanism enhances reliability while keeping the structural complexity manageable.
4Productivity
If shutter pieces are made to slide on each other, then the productivity is improved through continuous operation, but gaps form causing inconsistent shaping
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure contact biasing means maintains consistent contact pressure between sliding shutter pieces during continuous operation. This ensures that shaping precision is maintained throughout prolonged use, enabling continuous productivity without sacrificing consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous useful action by maintaining stable pressure contact between shutter pieces throughout operation. This continuous pressure contact prevents gap formation and ensures consistent shaping performance over extended periods, supporting uninterrupted productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution prevents gaps between shutter pieces, ensuring stable food dough shaping without the need for adjustments, enhancing handling ease and maintaining production stability over time.
Implementation Method 1
a ring-shaped elastic member that maintains pressure contact between adjacent shutter pieces
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is an shape-forming shutter apparatus including a plurality of shutter pieces 15, each having an shaping surface 17 and a sliding surface 19, which are arranged in a circle with the shaping surface 17 of each shutter piece 15 being slidably in sliding contact with the sliding surface 19 of the neighboring separate shutter piece 15, and the shape-forming shutter apparatus being capable of dilating and contracting an opening part 9 surrounded by the shaping surfaces 17 respectively of the plurality of shutter pieces 15. The shape-forming shutter apparatus includes pressure contact biasing means 21 for always keeping the shaping surface 17 of each shutter piece 15 and the sliding surface 19 of the neighboring shutter piece 15 slidably in pressure contact with each other. The pressure contact biasing means 21 is a ring-shaped elastic member for biasing the shutter pieces 15 equally in such a direction to close the opening part 9. The elastic member is stretchingly wound around the shutter pieces 15 in an end of each shutter piece 15, which end is separate away from the other end thereof where the shaping surface 17 of the shutter piece 15 and the sliding surface 19 of the neighboring shutter piece 15 intersect each other.